Cold Christmas in Delhi with ‘severe’ air quality

New Delhi: The residents of national capital had no respite from bad air quality even on Christmas as Delhi continued to remain under ‘severe’ air pollution on Tuesday for the fourth consecutive day along with cold wave.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the air quality index value in Delhi-NCR was at 408 with the major air pollutants being PM 2.5 and PM 10 being at 266 and 405 respectively on an average. The low wind speed and a drop in mercury prevented the dispersal of particulate matters.

According to SAFAR, the Air Quality Index (AQI) of the national capital was 423 — in the hazardous zone — as the minimum temperature was recorded at 5.6 degrees Celsius, two notches below the season’s average.

Several parts of Delhi faced severe air quality such as in Anand Vihar where the PM 2.5 and PM 10 was 424 and 360 respectively and Siri Fort where it was 436 and 424 respectively.

Tuesday’s maximum temperature was recorded at 19.5 degree Celcius, two notches below the season’s average while the minimum temperature is expected to settle for 5 degree Celcius, three notches below the season’s average.

“In the next few days, the temperature is likely to remain the same and the minimum will shuffle between 4 to 5 degree Celcius,” an IMD official said.

Owing to poor visibility due to heavy fog in the morning, several flights and trains departing from Delhi were delayed or cancelled.

According to Northern Railway, four trains departing from New Delhi were cancelled while 12 trains were delayed.

All departures at the the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) were suspended for over an hour as dense fog delayed 45 flights.

[source_without_link]IANS[/source_without_link]